BRITISH COLOURS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 245, 19 November 1914, Page 6

BRITISH COLOURS.

NO LONGER BORNE ON BATTLEFIELD. PRACTICE STOPPED BY LORD WOLSELEY. 1 While German regimental flags captured on the battlefield, are being proudly exhibited in. Paris, and French flags are being similarly shown at Berlin as trophies of Teuton victories, and ,; although scores of Austrian, regimental standards have been conveyed in triumph to the Tsar at Petrograd, there has been no instance yet of the capture of any English colours on the battlefields of France and Belgium.'

This is attributable, not to the absence of any British reverses —for there have been a number of them—but because the English soldiers when on' active service leave their colours, at h'ome (writes "Ex-Attache" in the Chicago "Tribune"). True, the" white ensign still proudly flutters ■ from-the masthead of English warships-when going into action, and its hauling down is construed in the light of surrender. But for sixteen or seventeen years no-flag has been carried , by any English regiment . when campaigning.

Germans Besent Flag Absence. .This peculiarity attracted little, or no notice during the war in South Africa. But it is exciting a good deal of attention on the .continent of. Europe, especially in Germany, where the fail; ure of the English-troops to bring their regimental colours with them and thus afford the Kaiser's" soldier's ah : opportunity of capturing them, is construed tnere in the light of a British injury, and as "another illustration of English unfairness."

It is"to Field-Marshal Lord Wolseley that the British Army is indebted for. the absence of English regimental col.oum. from the scene of hostilities in the present war. He secured the sanction of Queen "Victoria and the Government to this departure from .time-hon-oured custom during his term as com-mander-in-chief in 1897, not without opposition. The arguments he put forward in favour of the innovation were sufficiently striking to be worthy of reproduction: — "It would be madness and a crime to order any soldier to carry colours into action in the future. Tou might quite as well order him to be assassinated.

"All war has been transformed by tl)e invention of the far-reaching and fate-dealing rifle and - automatic gun, with which an enemy kills, whose face is not even,seen." Criticised by Comrades. But "Wolseley's action was v condemned by military men everywhere abroad, and even" by many of his own comrades in the English .Army; No one opposed the measures more strongly than the now veteran -Field-Marshal' Sir. Evelyn Wood, who,llike the octogenarian Lord Roberts, is a Victoria Cross hero. Speaking in London in 1897, he pas-

sionately pleaded for the- retention of { the colours in action. : :

. " Colours are potent to cheek disaster, to rally fugitives, to inspire attack. Whatever other an ■ may do,' I hope we will not give up this powerful .incentive to. hang together. It is to my . mind a moral question interesting all Britons and involving some of,, the brightest aspects.of the gloom of warfare." '; ■,';■ /" ■.'".';'' No Place for Sentiment. To this Lord Wolseley : replied -that, while Sir Evelyn's";; eloquent' -'words-;-, found an pcb,6 ih /his, ;hei considered sentiment out of place«4n tie modern battlefield. *• :

The flag stands for so much, in: :the eyes of the soldier, all of whose. m©s± chivalrous and exalted f in the colours of his regiment, that it is a 'subject for 'Congratulation in England that its absence from the/jßceni} of action, should in.nowise have impaired the spirit, enthusiasm, and bravery of the British troops in the 'present war. Marshal Turenne, in reporting to his Sovereign the most daring .act-, at; the siege of Eta.mp.es,, in 1652,. declares it '" would have been impossible if, the colours had not been constantly exposed to view," thus indicating that it:was the., sight of : the regimental flag that spurred the soldiers under Ms command,, to heroism. ...- ;■:-?.':■.. ;,; ; .;„■.:• . ' .